Ossian Collection > Temora, an ancient epic poem, in eight books

An epic poem. 35
—But his ftone was railed without a tear ? No bard lung * over
Erin's king ; and fliall his foes rejoice along their mol^y hills ? — No:
they mud not rejoice : he was the friend of Foldath. Our words
were mixed, in fecret, in Moma's filent cave ; whilft thou, a boy
in the field, purfuedfl: the thiftle's beard. — With Moma's fons I
fliall rulli abroad, and find the foe, on his dulky hills. Fingal
fliall lie, without his fong, the grey-haired king of Selma.
Dost thou think, thou feeble man, replied the chief of Athaj
doft thou think that he can fall, without his fame, in Erin ?
Could the bards be filent, at the tomb of the mighty Fingal .? The
fong would burll in fecret ; and the fpirit of the king rejoice. — It
is when thou Ihalt fall, that the bard fliall forget the fong. Thou
art dark, chief of Moma, tho' thine arm is a tempeft in war. — Do
I forget the king of Erin, in his narrow houfe ? My foul is not loll
to Cairbar, the brother of my love. I marked the bright beams of
joy, which travelled over his cloudy mind, when I returned, with
fame, to Atha of the llreams.
Tall they removed, beneath the words of the kingj each to
his own dark tribe ; where, humming, they rolled on the heath,
faint-glittering to the ftars : hke waves, in the rocky bay, before
the nightly wind. Beneath an oak, lay the chief of Atha : his
lliield, a dufky round, hung high. Near him, againft a rock, leaned
the ftrangcr -f of Inis-huna : that beam of light, with wanderino-
locks,
* To have no funeral elegy fung over wife be admitted to the airy hall of hU fo'
his tomb, was, in thofe days, reckoned then.
the greatcft misfortune that could be- -j- By the Jlr anger of Inii-huna, is meant
tal a man ; as his Ibiil could not other- Sulmalla, the daughter of Canmor king of
F 2 I, lis-